Published: Oct. 7, 2020

Julissa Calderon, actor, activist and star of the Netflix hit series Gentefied, and Gadiel Del Orbe, former Buzzfeed content creator for Pero Like and guest star on the YouTube/Buzzfeed pilot series Unfortunatly Ashly, will give a virtual talk to the CU community on Wednesday, Oct. 21. During the event, Calderon and Del Orbe will discuss their careers, personal perspectives and reactions to current events from the Afro-Latinx perspective.

Julissa Calderon

Julissa Calderon

Gadiel Del Orbe

Gadiel Del Orbe

Calderon and Del Orbe are being hosted by CU Boulder’s student-run Cultural Events Board (CEB), a student-fee funded entity of CU Student Government (CUSG). The free event will take place on Zoom at 6 p.m. (MDT) and is open only to CU Boulder students (undergraduate and graduate), staff and faculty. Virtual attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis and are asked to sign up for a link to the event and to submit a question.

“Gadiel Del Orbe and Julissa Calderon are both incredibly talented, and we are so excited to be hosting them,” said Anuja Gore, chair of the Cultural Events Board. “The board always strives to bring relevant and fresh perspectives to the CU Boulder community. Del Orbe and Calderon are innovators redefining American television and popular media. We are looking forward to discussing the challenges and triumphs of that endeavor with them.”

About the speakers

Passionate about Afro-Latino representation and challenging Latino stereotypes, Calderon is an Afro-Latinx actress, writer, producer and director from Miami. She plays the dynamic role of Yessika Castillo, a strong-willed, heart-driven activist in Gentified. She recently appeared on the series WTF Baron Davis. Prior to that, she appeared in ABC's Revenge, starred in the ABC Diversity Showcase and completed a two-year talent residency at Buzzfeed's Pero Like channel.

Del Orbe is a Dominican-American comedian, actor, writer/director/producer and military veteran from New York. He recently created content on Buzzfeed's Pero Like channel, where his videos have garnered over 30 million views. He also guest starred on the YouTube/Buzzfeed pilot series Unfortunatly Ashly.

Past speakers on campus

Past CEB speakers have included South African-born comedian and commentator Trevor Noah, who spoke to the CU Boulder community last month; founders of the Black Lives Matter movement; comedian and commentator Hasan Minhaj; former Ohio Governor John Kasich; Olympic gymnast and author Aly Raisman; and Academy Award winner Viola Davis.